HOW MANY ITEMS CAN YOU FIND?
PSYCHEDELIC CHESS PIECES
THE KEY TO SUCCESS IS ORGANIZATION
ORGANIZED CHAOS
THE CROCODILE HUNTER
PASCAL'S TRIANGLE
FINE COUNTRY LIVING
TREE TRAP
BZZZZZZZ
One of our main chores this weekend was to hang little plastic red balls in the apple orchard (see photo). These balls are hung on apple trees and coated in transparent, sticky goop to attract insects to the balls and keep them away from the apples. Apparently this goop is enticing for bugs to lay their eggs on which is good for preventing baby bugs from eating the fruit. We're not sure if the goop kills bugs immediately or simply makes them stick to it, like fly paper. Wearing latex gloves during application and trying to read the contents of the canned goop, we were unsure if this product was organic. We realized, however, that none of this yucky stuff was being applied to the trees or the fruit, but simply was trying to keep the bugs away from the fruit. We think it's legit. Lorna's car broke down so their return is delayed until Monday night but we are curious to see what results she's had with this stuff in the past. If you have a great fruit orchard, but bugs and birds ransack all the goods, how do you solve this problem without resorting to chemicals? There must be ways. In addition to some other methods we've come across, including spraying plants and their leaves with compost tea, this may be a strategy we wish to implement one day.
We've been taking Noel, the dog, on walks around the property over the weekend, which is great fun for all of us. We get to explore the grounds outside of the garden and Noel gets to play host, showing us the way and running into and out of the creek for refreshment. There is a maze of trails in every direction from the house and though we have managed to get a little lost once, we are enjoying the scenery, peace, and quiet around here. Being surrounded by hills, the valley we have been exploring is mostly wet, boggy land and can prove tough to traverse, but we've managed just fine. Usually one thinks the forest is where all the hidden animals are, and that may be the case here since we've heard of local bear and cougar spottings, but we haven't come across any. In and around the gardens though, the amount of gardner snakes are staggering. We see scales sneakily slither out from under covered objects and despite knowing they naturally keep garden pests at bay, Jen still treads lightly and looks to avoid them with every step.
Country living wouldn't be complete without bugs; they are just a fact of life. We're used to a normal amount of bugs but here they seem to be out of control. Flies swarm the house, in the kitchen, the bathrooms, and all the hallways probably since the doors and windows are often left ajar. Aaron has taken out a personal vendetta and has declared war on the flies; he has managed to swing so fiercely at a gang of flies, he broke the swatter! The flies are mainly a nuisance in the kitchen as we feel they create an unsanitary environment around food. The "no-see-ems" are awful little critters. As their nickname suggests, they are barely visible but they are wreaking havoc. Jen's face and head are bitten up and so itchy, yet luckily for Aaron they don't seem to bother him. Why do bugs always seek Jen out? What's the deal? She must be too sweet smelling. To complete the laundry list of bugs overtaking the house, there is a large hornet's nest embedded in the wall on the east side of the house. Sitting outside on the deck, you hear the wind rustling the tall grass, the creek babbling, and the endless buzz of the swarm. Even though they're in the house they seem to keep to themselves, along the perimeter. We're unsure if they've managed to penetrate the walls, or simply have set up shop under the shingles.
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